By the time your preschooler reaches kindergarten, he will be expected to have developed solid listening skills. Playing games with your preschooler can help to develop those skills. Since most preschoolers enjoy playing games, they likely won’t even notice that — in addition to having fun — they are also building essential skills.

Simon Says

Playing Simon Says can help to develop your preschooler’s language comprehension and listening skills, according to the Center for Early Literacy Learning. When playing Simon Says, your preschooler is forced to follow the instructions closely that you give to stay in the game. Instructions you give may include, “Simon says run in a circle” or “Simon says jump up and down.” If you give an instruction without saying, “Simon says,” and your preschooler follows the instruction, he is out of the game. When your preschooler doesn’t follow the command because you didn’t say “Simon says,” praise him for his great listening skills.

Bingo

For the preschooler who knows her numbers and letters, playing traditional Bingo can help increase her listening skills. During the game, your preschooler will have to listen carefully to the numbers and letters you call out. When she covers five number spots in a row or four numbers and the free space, she wins the game. If your preschool doesn’t yet have solid and number recognition skills, you can create your own Bingo game by making boards that use shapes, animals or other objects that your preschooler is familiar with. Call out these items to play and when your preschooler gets five in a row, she wins.

Freeze Dance

Playing Freeze Dance can help your preschooler enhance his listening skills and learn to distinguish the difference between silence and sound, according to the Education.com. When the music plays, instruct your preschooler to dance around. When the music stops, instruct him to stop and to freeze like a statue. Freeze Dance is a great game to play outside when your preschooler has friends over or inside in a large, open space. If you’d like, you can provide your preschooler with a scarf or hoop to dance with while the music is playing.